Every 15 seconds, a woman in the US is battered. Four women a day are killed by husbands or boyfriends. And 20-50 percent of women have been victims of domestic abuse. But for human rights activist Kerry Kennedy Cuomo, the statistic most significant to her is that 14 women she knows have been raped.
Cuomo recounted these women's stories, as well as those of victims of human rights abuses worldwide, during her "Speak Truth to Power" lecture at Tufts Hillel on Tuesday night. She said discrimination against women is one of the most pressing human rights issues facing the world today.
"Women constitute one-half of the people in the world, do two-thirds of the work hours, have received one-tenth of the world's income, and own less than one percent of the world's property," she said. "What a waste."
The lecture was named for Cuomo's book, Speak Truth to Power, which recounts the stories of 51 human rights defenders. But Cuomo's talk revolved mainly around her personal experiences and the human rights abuses she has observed in her travels across the globe.
Cuomo began her work as an activist when she was a sophomore in college, interning for Amnesty International, the international organization she worked for after graduating. Among the early assignments that inspired her future work was an investigation into abuses by American Immigration officials against the people of El Salvador.
A Salvadorian family, Cuomo learned, suffered a double tragedy: the father disappeared, and the mother, who went to search for him, was told by Salvadorian soldiers to return home. The soldiers then went to her house and raped and killed her 14-year old daughter. Mother and son escaped to the US in search of refuge, but were taken by US immigration officials to a detention center, which Cuomo called "a prison built on a swamp."
According to her story, the seven-year old refused to sign a form saying he would voluntarily go back to El Salvador, and the US officials broke two of his fingers. The boy then agreed to return to his Central-American home, and the mother followed her son to the land controlled by soldiers who had killed her husband and daughter.
"I was shocked that our country was treating the destitute with such disdain," Cuomo said.
Cuomo's message was not focused exclusively on human rights abuses, but rather sought to show the audience that there exists an abundance of solutions in which all persons can take part. Students said they were inspired by her message and touched by Cuomo's stories.
"The whole presentation was so down-to-earth. It made us feel that it's possible to be a normal person and make a big difference," said Joshua Pressman, who helped organize the event. "You just have to give some of your time and all of your heart and you can be something great. You are a hero on a smaller level."
"I think Cuomo's message is that you don't have to study for years and then take action," said Trustee Alan Solomont, who introduced the activist.
Cuomo's observations were supplemented by speeches from three Fletcher student activists. Neamatollah Nojumi, a founding member of the American-based Afghanistan Rescue Effort, Lisa Karanja, a legal advisor on women's property rights and gender violence for the International Federation of Women Lawyers in Kenya, and Bonny Ling, a member of the UN Peacekeeping Mission in Bosnia and Herzegovina Sarajevo, spoke of their efforts to advance human rights in their home countries and on UN missions.
"A big part of the success of the event was that her speech and message was complemented by the message of the other speakers," Pressman said. "They gave a real and human perspective of what we as normal people can do."
"Speak Truth to Power" was the inaugural event for a new Hillel lecture series - anticipated to take place annually - that is funded by Mark and Nicole Hirsh. Mark Hirsch is a member of the Hillel Foundation board of directors. Cuomo's visit was co-sponsored by Hillel, the University College of Citizenship and Public Service, and the Education for Public Inquiry and International Citizenship program, among other organizations.
Cuomo was chosen to be the first speaker in the series because of her extensive experience in human rights advocacy and because her speeches spread the message that one person can make a difference. She has led over 40 human rights delegations to over 30 countries. Among her many accomplishments is the founding of the Robert F. Kennedy Center for Human Rights, an DC-based organization that works to ensure that countries conform to the UN Declaration of Human Rights.
"At this season, while celebrating Passover and the freedom from oppression, it is particularly meaningful to have Kerry Kennedy Cuomo speak," Solomont said.
Matthew Kane contributed to this article.
